Wynkoop’s take on the German Schwarzbier style. While it’s certainly good and highly drinkable, and offers can fans a dark beer option, it lacks some of the depth, complex malt characters and clean finish found in authentic examples.

Decided to give it a shot, no real expectations for this one. Got it for free at Morgans Liquor store as part of a promotion.

A&S: Pours about a finger of creamy tan head, not a ton of retention, but not awful. The beer has a medium black coloration. Light grains and bitter hop components, with some smokiness thrown in there.

T&M: Really not bad. Pretty large hop component. Smokey, lightly malted, milk chocolate also present in the taste. Light body, but not super crisp, more smooth than I expected. Medium high carbonation, but not sharp.

Overall: I'm not too familiar with this style (Schwarzbier), however this beer seems to fit for the most part. Pretty refreshing and not completely flavorless. Opposed to the season suggestions for this style (winter), I think this beer goes great on a warm early summer night. (828 characters)

App: Very dark, more so than say a bock. As dark as a stout without that black hole characteristic. One finger, dark tan head that dissipates quickly leaving very little lacing.

Smell: Chocolatey nose very present and predominant. Medium bouquet, and a nose that is very true to style. Hops disguised under significant malt presence, but not absent entirely. Pretty mellow smell.

Taste: Very deep and interesting taste. Lots of malt flavors battling one another without a decisive victor. Chocolate malts dominate with some roastiness bringing up the rear. Caramelized flavors intertwined with a mild woodiness. Tastes a lot like a porter without the heavy bodied lingering flavors. Very clean with a slight lingering sweetness. Mild hops bite that is noted but subtle enough to let the malts perform center stage. Slight lingering sourness that harmonizes with the brews sweetness.

Mouth: Carbonation light for a lager which really allows the creaminess of the malts to bloom on your tongue. Light bodied considering its strong malt presence. (1,049 characters)

12oz can, from the King Soopers across from my hotel in the Glendale area of Denver a few weeks ago.

This beer pours a fairly dark brown hue, bordering on the eponymous black, with rampant cola highlights, and three fingers of foamy, spongy, and dense beige head, which leaves some decent stormy, run for cover cloudy lace around the glass as it gently seeps away.

The carbonation is generally on the down low - nothing really sticking its head up from its plebeian toil, the body an adequate medium weight, and fairly smooth, but for a niggling pithy clamminess. It finishes on the dry side, the roast, toast, ash, spice, and hop all too much for the other party to get a grip on.

An enjoyable and approachable schwarzbier, the roasted character doing well to branch out, spread itself around. My experience thus far with this style has unfortunately mostly been with thin, overly lagery versions, so this is a nice surprise - fuller, but still a lager, the smoky essences not totally overriding that. (1,407 characters)

Pours opaque black with minimal head. The aroma has a nice deep and dry roasted barley note followed up by notes of pumpernickel and dry lager yeast. Taste starts with a neutral malt flavor and quickly becomes intensely roasty. The roasted notes bring on smokey flavors towards the end. Finish is clean and dry. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated with a light to medium body. Overall, lots of flavor packed into this, but it was a bit one note. Would have nice to have a little more depth to all of the roast. (505 characters)

Another of the Blargimus trade haul in support of The CANQuest (TM)! I experienced a backlog and then realized that no picture existed or was pending of this one and so that added to the lead time as a basic tenet of The CANQuest (TM) states that "No CAN shall be Cracked open unless a picture already exists or one CAN be approved. Cracked CANs are unsightly and should NOT be used for photographic purposes except in extreme cases."

No explanation of the name, which is too bad, as it puts me in mind of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. That is just how my twisted brain works.

The Crack was followed closely by an inverted Glug which produced two fingers of thick, deep-tan head with great retention. Color was a deep, dark-brown allowing light penetration only near the top of the glass. It was as deeply dark as Rader's heart must have been to commit such atrocities. Nose was rich with a smoky chocolate scent, like a liquid dark chocolate bar. Mouthfeel was medium and the chocolate taste even more pronounced on the tongue than it had been on the nose! Understated hops? More like unspoken. This was very sweet, especially on the finish and between that and its > 4% ABV, I would not find it "sessionable". Hey, that was their claim, not mine. Stylistically, I have no problem with it, but the style is just not my cuppa meat, dig? (1,830 characters)

They may be simple and reserved in taste, but the making of Schwarzbier is anything but. They are difficult, fussy, and elegant. There's a lot of coddling that goes into making a proper Schwarz. Does Wynkoop have it in them to give the proper attention to detail?

While dark, dark brown in color, the saturated beer comes with ominous ruby highlights that cast against a brilliantly clear beer. Its short-statured, off white head caps the beer and laces with random broken rings and restrained retention- all on par with classic German versions.

Bold aromas of roasted grains, light burnt sugars, cocoa-rich chocolates and heavy toast provide the framework for the bulk of the beer's aromas. But a backing of malty yougurt-like tartness, toasted breads and light cream provide support for the supple roaste. With no real fruit notes, a light woodish hop note, slight peppercorn and smoke, the beer is more complex than the original scent reveals.

Creamy sweet to taste initially, the beer quickly takes on chocolaty, deep caramelly, toasty character. A sprinkle of light coffee, wood cinders and very light campfire notes come through at middle palate. And then finishing with a peppercorn note as alcohol taste links dark grains- the mild earthen soil-like notes weave into the taste of heavy whipping cream for a dry marshmallowy taste to close.

Both creamy and powdery to start, the beer favors sweetness more so than do most classic Schwarzbiers. But a slow and steady development towards powdery roast, fleeting sweetness and escaping carbonation makes the beer somewhat lumbered in its development but it does extend the enjoyment of taste before the beer completely dries out.

Where Wynkoop's Schwarzbier favors boldness and ale-like roughness, its a bit more assertive for the classic taste and texture of Schwarz. But its taste is firm and favorable throughout and is sure to appease the fans of dark lagers throughout. (1,933 characters)

Thanks to woodychandler for yet another canned beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cola like color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some notes of coffee. Taste is a much stronger coffee, some malts, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer. (287 characters)

It tastes almost as sweet as its smell, but it also incorporates some of that dry roasty flavor through the middle and end. Nothing too strong, though. It's light in body, and there's no bitter to be had.

Overall Wynkoop's created a great session beer. It's light, slick, flavorful and refreshing. The biggest problem I see is that I really had to search for any substances in the first swig. Though all of the characteristics of something great are here, they're so subtle that the beer might teeter on the edge of blandness. (705 characters)

First beer of the day yesterday at the Dayton Disc Golf Course (and it wasn't this beer's fault I fell behind 7-0 in skins to start). Nice black color without the viscosity, you can see some hints of brown and red through the beer at the edge when you apply sunlight to it. The head was a sturdy beige, small bubbles.

Taste, good black spritz going, adequate hopping for style, light body, roast still discernable in taste, good carbonation, whatever the yeast offers, it isn't oppressive. A faint sweet malt remnant in the mouthfeel that is otherwise dry and clean.

A decent beer that I found mildly enjoyable on a crisp fall morning. (829 characters)

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black color. A small beige head forms and sticks around as a tiny cap. Some light lace.S: Toasted malts, bread and biscuit. Light chocolate and coffee. I like it.T: Very simple, but I love it. Toasted malts that are great. Bread and biscuit with some great complimentary chocolate and coffee. Everything works together perfectly.M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Very crisp and clean. So easy to drink. All day with this one, and went perfectly with my burger.

A great Schwarzbier IMO. Full of malty goodness. Well done and something I would highly recommend. (639 characters)

This is in cans now, which is always convenient. I can’t think of any other canned dark lagers.Pours a brown/black color with a lot of foam. It’s sticky and lines the walls of a glass pretty well.Semi-sweet chocolate, dark bread, and some smoke are on the nose.The flavor profile essentially mirrors the nose, although the smoke is a hair heavier than I prefer. It adds a little bit of heartiness that takes away from the drinkability slightly. Still, this is tasty stuff. The dark malts are never overtly bitter or acidic, which is the sign of a better schwarz. I wish the smoke were toned down ever so slightly (I’ll be a traditionalist here), but this is otherwise very solid.Good stuff and a nice new canned brew from the ‘Koop. It’ll be in my rotation for the summer without a doubt.

It might be worth mentioning that in my experience bottled/canned beers with smoked malts tend to have that come on a bit stronger than a draft version. On tap I'd say that the smokiness in B3K is barely perceptible. (1,022 characters)

poured into a chilled pint glass down at the pearl street grill. black with very little head, almost watery looking for a darker brew. nose is dark roasted malts, sharp hints of licorice in there as well. taste is slightly bland, coffee notes with the almost burned malt flavor. very low carbonation makes the mouthfeel a bti strange. i havent entirely figured this beer out yet, but i have never had more than one in a sitting. something is a little off here (459 characters)

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and decent lacing. Smells of roasted malt, coffee, sweet malt, and slight oatmeal. Fits the style of a Schwarzbier. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of slight earthy malt, roasted malt, slight coffee, and a hint of sweet malt. Overall, decent appearance, good body, and good feel. (388 characters)

Good schwarzbier. Poured brownish-black with a moderate tan head. Dark roasted malts in the nose, caramel and dark chocolate. Similar taste, with big roasty malts, licorice, and some cocoa bitterness. Smooth and silky, not quite full-bodied, and very drinkable. (297 characters)

Pours an almost opaque dark brown color with a 1/2 inch beige head that fades to a thin cap. Random legs of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smells malt/biscuit, some fruitiness, and a slightly smoky aroma. Taste is exactly like the smell. This beer has a high level of carbonation which makes for a very crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer and the first of the style I have ever had. My first beer from Wynkoop. (482 characters)

On tap at gaetano's, I've also had this at the Wynkoop so I didn't hesitate to order it. Dark black color, smells a little grainy. Tastes fine and reminds me of full sail dark black lager. This is a pretty good beer although I wish the smell was more robust. (258 characters)

Served up a decent brown, reminded me of cola really, with an off white head that was not well retained. No lacing to mention. The head was light and fluffy. I would have expected this beer to be blacker that it was.

The aroma was light, a nice roasted barley but not much else to it.

The taste is good, follows the nose, but a little stronger. Roasted barley with some sweetness, not really sure what it was, and it also had some spice to it, but again, not really sure what it was. I didn't really find much hoppiness/bitterness to it, which I expected some of.

The beer feeling light, which is what was expected from the style, and it was smooth and easy to drink with a good carbonation feel to it. The beer finished with a dry aftertaste. Overall, not bad beer but not a great one either. (827 characters)

Had this with a tuna melt and bacon-potato salad. OK, not the best pairing, but hey I was craving tuna.

Light coffee color pour, black but kinda brown. Soapy head that was off white and stuck around a bit.

I smelled almond and toffee. Sweet a bit, but nothing overpowering or even noticeable. Taste follows, but the almond is gone and sweet malt comes up. I'm not a malt guy, yet this one had just enough to become noticed, and then died at the end, which for me is good. Clean finish, good with food as it won't dominate.